More for your money, er leg power that is...

I'm ending January on a high note! Tonight I logged my longest run of the month (albeit on a treadmill), I logged the most miles in a single month ever (as far as I can remember...which today isn't far given at one point or another I thought it was either Monday or Wednesday and never Tuesday) and I am 1/12 of the way to achieving my new year's resolution by hitting my January goal of 80 miles. I only have to maintain the momentum for eleven more months and I'll hit that 1000 miles mark.

Now for how I hit that target today. So you all know the story about getting behind earlier this month due to travel in Ohio and California. And then you know about the down days last week with a late short run on Sunday. Yesterday when I got caught up with work and work activities until almost 10pm I really didn't think I would hit the goal for the month. But, I decided to wake up really early to do a run before work and then lock it down with another run after work. Well that didn't happen either...I just can not bring myself to get up for a morning run. So, after leaving my office at 7pm this evening I felt doomed for failure. I decided to go to the gym (too dark to run outside - you know my policy of avoiding injuries after dark) and just lay down as many miles as I could to minimize the catch up required during the already short month of February. I thought I'd get it down to 3 or 4...reasonable. As I started, however, I decided to dial down the speed and just plow through.

So I did it! One month down and two knees to ice. Happy trails!!!

Stats-
Miles: 9.62
Time: 88:40 (average pace of 9:13 per mile)
Location: 24 Hour Fitness Annapolis, Dreaded Treadmill Aisle
Feeling: Accomplished and ready for February (though I may have to take a day off first)

Sketchy credit...

Well, no excuses, this weekend just got away with me. It all started out with a not great day Friday that frustrated me so much that not even a run sounded like something I wanted to do. Then Saturday, Jason decided he didn't want to get up for a run, so I decided to sleep in with him. I also had great intentions to put in a good 8-10 miles today, but got sidetracked with a little extra babysitting. That said, I did get to go ice skating today. Jay and I agreed that I could take credit for one mile towards my goal since I skated with great enthusiasm for an hour and a half.

After Jason left, I did lay down about four miles on my own feet. I'm hoping that over the next couple days I can get in at least five miles each day so I can hit my monthly target of 80 miles. Please send me positive thoughts! Happy trails!

Stats -
Miles: 4.02 (plus one mile for my bad ass skating)
Time: 35:27 (average 8:49 per mile...nice and easy)
Location: Bay Head
Feeling: Wish I could have put in more, but it felt pretty nice.

Blast the hamstring...

If you've known me for a while, you know I have long been susceptible to tweaking my left hamstring. I've felt this one coming on for days now, but I hoped if I ignored it, it would just go away. Alas, it is here. Tonight on the treadmill (oh yeah, that's probably a contributing factor because of the harsher pounding) it just didn't feel great at all. I pushed through four miles jogging and then did my last mile in a brisk walk to add to the tally. Now I'm lubed up with Icy Hot hopig to fend off a full blown pull so that I do not get behind on my goal. I'm on target for a good January and am hoping to even get ahead a bit in February. Keep my leg in your thoughts! Happy trails!

Stats -
Miles: 4.0 (plus a mile walk in cool down)
Time: 34:08 (average pace 8:31 per mile)
Location: 24 Hour Fitness, 3rd treadmill from the end
Feeling: Grrrrrrrr

Horribly competitive....

I am a horribly competitive person. Did you know that? Horribly, horribly, horribly competitive. I thrive on challenge, particularly against myself. Oh, you only have one master's degree? What kind of slacker are you? Let's go get a second one. Oh, you ran a couple marathons? Why didn't you run farther. Let's go run an ultramarathon. Lately my competitive drive has been pushing me to run faster.

Today I decided to try something a little different. I challenged myself to slow down. I decided I'd try to add 30-40 seconds onto the time for each mile just to see if I could control my pace. The goal was 9 minute miles. I was close, but that only counts in horseshoes and handgrenades...especially when I'm wearing a Garmin that helps me with the pace. I just couldn't take myself all the way there. To all those people who ran slow with me back in the day...how the hell did you do it?

On another note, I also got another blister on the arch of my foot. I've been wearing an older pair of shoes lately because it's what was at my office and they are half a size too big I think. Come to think of it, that would explain a lot. I also wore these particular shoes while running my last 50K and had horrible blisters in the arches of my feet. Oh well, lesson learned. I left them in the trash bin in the gym. So long bad shoes! Happy trails!

Stats -
Miles: 4.07
Time: 36.01 (average pace 8:51 per mile)
Location: Capitol Hill and Lincoln Park
Feeling: Pretty good, except that blister in my arch :)

Go into the light....

Today I got to run outside. Woohoo! It's been a week of treadmill runs and longing for the fresh air. As I stared out my office window and the sun beating down on the sidewalk on Constitution Avenue, I prayed for the opportunity to get outside. Well, I got a break in the action, at least long enough to lay down a few miles.

So I laced up and hit the pavement. However, I only seemed to find the shadows as I ran. Where the heck did all the awesome sunshine, which I can see over the tops of the buildings, go? How do I find it to run in it? It took a mile, but I finally found the sunshine and it was awesome! Best wishes and happy trails!

Stats -
Miles: 3.04
Time: 25:27 (average pace 8:22 per mile)
Location: Capitol Hill and Stanton Park
Feeling: Fantastic...it's great to stretch the legs outside.

Running didn't help the Ravens...

I'm putting another week to bed with yet another treadmill run. I'm fairly certain I've never put in this many miles on a treadmill in a week, let alone a year. Here's to hoping this next week provides me with the opportunities to meet my goals outside.

Now for the run...while I hit my goals this week of exceeding 20 miles (it was actually closer to 23 - coming closer to making up for the missed miles the week before) the Ravens (playing at the same time I was running) did not meet their goal of reaching the super bowl. Better luck next time Ravens! In the meantime, I'm right on target to hit 80 miles in January, setting me up for 1000 miles in 2012 :)

Stats -
Miles: 4.5 (plus 1 mile walking in cool down)
Time: 37:35 (average pace 8:21 per mile)
Location: 24 Hour Fitness Annapolis, smack in the middle of the treadmills
Feeling: I wish I was outside...when will it be light until 9pm again?

Faster than a marine...

This morning I dropped Jay off at work and, having limited ability to change my clothes or shower without using the gym, set off to run on the treadmill instead of outside in the 50 degree sun. Well, not the best decision, but not running because I wouldn't be able to shower would have been worse. So I laced up for my third treadmill run of the week...geez, for someone who hates running on the treadmill I seem to be doing a lot of that lately.

I take solace in two things - I maintained a faster and more consistent pace (and ran longer) than the two male marines to my right and also I way outpaced the female marine to my left. It always feels good to leave the few and the proud in my dust :)

Stats -
Miles: 4.01 (plus 1.3 mile walk in cool down)
Time: 33:35 (average 8:22 per mile for the run)
Location: Area 2 Fitness Center, Camp Lejeune, treadmills
Feeling: Competitive